Discovery BoxGenesis 34:13-17 
Context34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem 1 had violated their sister Dinah. 34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give 2 our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace 3 to us. 34:15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become 4 like us by circumcising 5 all your males. 34:16 Then we will give 6 you our daughters to marry, 7 and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 34:17 But if you do not agree to our terms 8 by being circumcised, then we will take 9 our sister 10 and depart.”
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.
3 tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.
4 tn Heb “if you are like us.”
5 tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.
6 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
7 tn The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “listen to us.”
9 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
10 tn Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.
